Giant on the way - dented base and slightly low fluid - need help

[Erin]

I have a lovely Giant on the way from eBay. The base has a dent in it and the fluid is a tad low. 

I'm looking for help getting that dent out of the base, as it looks to be significant.

Also, and I'm not real keen on opening up a Giant, but the fluid is a little low, and I'd like to top it off. I know these were made in 1996/1997 and I am willing to find and sacrifice a globe to top this off. I'm always scared of using distilled in case it ruins the flow.

If anyone has any advice on either of these issues, please share! :)

Thanks in advance! 

[Kirk]

Libby - and maybe one interim step that I thought about in retrospect.  I've wondered if the blasted China wax just needed to be "cooked" longer.  My theory is if they were trying to cut corners/costs -- maybe the wax didn't get a chance to cook long enough.  So, I'm wondering what would happen if you drained all the fluid and then put the globe with wax only on the lighted base for 4 or 5 hours?  Would it make a difference?   Maybe you don't need new goo at all, maybe it just needs to cook longer.  Sounds like a Breaking Bad episode, doesn't it?

[Marley's Ghost]

That's the dasted truth!   Spikes beautifully, then definitely breaks bad.   Not sure what would happen if I cooked it that long, but it's worth a try. I do have it on a dimmer.  It runs too hot, remember the pics I sent you with the teeny grape blobs hanging from the top? 

[Kirk]

Does the dimmer reduce those little grape blobs so that it flows with bigger blobs at cooler temps?

[Marley's Ghost]

Yes, it does a "lot," but some are still there, and eventually fall, only to have others take their place.  I have that dimmer nearly halfway down too, which also makes it "darker."

[Metallica Man Trevor]

Those grape size blobs usually means that its partly disconnected from the coil, and liquid is getting into the wax. In my experience's anyhow.
 
Marley's Ghost said:

Yes, it does a "lot," but some are still there, and eventually fall, only to have others take their place.  I have that dimmer nearly halfway down too, which also makes it "darker."

[Marley's Ghost]

I have checked that too, Trev, and I've never seen it disconnect from the coil.  It just runs hot after a few hours.  The dimmer takes care of it most times.  It just has an unattractive flow and the fluid is too dark.  This is begging for a re-do.

[Metallica Man Trevor]

I've had lamps that look connected, but in very very small spots its only half connected to the coil. hard to explain. its connected to the top half of the coil but not the whole coil. and u have to tilt is sideways to notice it. But still a grande is not worth the work. easier to just re do it. a goo kit is good in a grande, I'm personally not a goo kit fan tho. But they are the cheapest route to go on a grande. unless u want to do what Jim did. or save a bunch of 32 and 52 usa globes and try that. I'm working on that right now.

[Marley's Ghost]

What did Jim do, and why are you not a fan of goo kits? 
 
Metallica man Trevor said:

I've had lamps that look connected, but in very very small spots its only half connected to the coil. hard to explain. its connected to the top half of the coil but not the whole coil. and u have to tilt is sideways to notice it. But still a grande is not worth the work. easier to just re do it. a goo kit is good in a grande, I'm personally not a goo kit fan tho. But they are the cheapest route to go on a grande. unless u want to do what Jim did. or save a bunch of 32 and 52 usa globes and try that. I'm working on that right now.

[Erin]

Hey, could you guys take this to another thread... I keep getting updates about this and it's not about my lamp. ;) Thanks. 

[Marley's Ghost]

Sorry, Erin.  I was just thinking it should be on my pic of my Grande.......I apologize!

[Metallica Man Trevor]

Sorry!!!!!!!!! Did you run that giant for awhile? any better?

[Erin]

Ran it for three days. No, no better. Always crappy. I hate it. Will try running it again.